Staplers



N: s. CLAY STAPLERS Oct. 9, 1962 Filed Aug. 29, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet l l 1 27 f W 7/ Z 7% .r J g I o A A 0 r. r? 73 INVENTOR. AMI/IAN 8. 62A) ATTORNEY.

Oct. 9, 1962 N. s. CLAY 3,056,963

STAPLERS Filed Aug. 29, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet2 IN VEN TOR. M4 THA/V: 624 Y United States Patent Ofifice Patented Oct. 9, 1962 3,056,963 STAPLERS Nathan S. Clay, New York, N.Y., assignor to Arrow Fastener Co., Inc., Brooklyn, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Aug. 29, 1961, Ser. No. 134,660 8 Claims. (Cl. 13)

This invention relates to staplers.

One difificulty experienced with staplers as heretofore made, has been that the spring pressed staple pusher, when released, sometimes accidentally slipped out of the fingers of the operator and shot out of the stapler, under the influence of a compressed pusher spring. Such action could result in injury to persons or damage to the staple pusher.

It is hence one object of this invention to provide in a stapler of the character described, means to prevent the pusher from accidentally being forcefully expelled by spring pressure from the stapler.

Another object of this invention is to provide in a stapler of the character described, highly improved means for releasably latching the staple pusher to the staple magazine in such manner as to prevent accidental release, yet allowing release by a simple and easy manipulation.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a strong, rugged and durable stapler of the character described which shall be relatively inexpensive to manufacture, easy to manipulate, safe in use and yet practical and efiicient to a high degree.

Other objects of this invention will in part be obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangement of parts, which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter described, and of which the scope of invention will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawings in which is shown an illustrative embodiment of this invention,

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a stapler embodying the invention, with parts broken away and in crosssection;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the staple magazine of said stapler;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional View taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the upper latching spring for the staple pusher, before assembly in the magazine of the stapler;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the lower latching spring for the staple pusher, before assembly in the magazine of the stapler;

FIG. 6 is a partial, enlarged cross-sectional view of the rear end of the stapler magazine illustrating the latching means for the staple pusher;

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 7-7 of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a partial side elevational view of the rear end of the staple magazine illustrating the first step of inserting the front end of the staple pusher into staple magazine;

FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIG. 8 but illustrating the means for stopping the rearward movement of the staple pusher relative to the staple magazine;

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 1010 of FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a partial perspective view of the front end of the staple pusher; and

FIG. 12 is a partial top plan view of the front end of the staple pusher.

Referring now in detail to the drawing, 10 designates 2 t a stapler embodying the invention. The same comprises generally a base 11, a staple magazine 12 pivoted thereto, and a cover 13 pivoted to the magazine, as on pivot pin 13a.

The base 11 may be constructed similarly to the base shown in my copending application Serial No. 47,43 8, filed August 4, 1960, and entitled Stapler Device or Machine now Patent No. 3,036,306 issued May 29, 1962.

Said base includes suitable means to rotatably engage a pivot pin 15 on the staple magazine 12. Such means may comprise, as shown, a rockable pawl 16, pressed into pin engaging position, by a member 17 under influence of a coil compression spring 18, in the manner described in my said copending application.

The staple magazine 12 comprises a magazine housing 20 having a bottom wall 21 from which extend upwardly, side walls 22. Said side walls 22, near their rear ends, have downwardly extending cars 23 carrying the transverse pivot pin 15. The bottom wall 21 is cut away as at 24, in the region of the pin 15, to allow a book 25 on the pawl 16 to project up into the magazine housing for engagement with pin 15.

Attached to the front end of magazine housing 20 is a usual driver and staple guide member 26 having a front wall 27 from which extends rearwardly, side walls 28 contacting the outer surfaces of the front ends of side walls 22 and fixed thereto by a transverse pin 29.

Fixed to the bottom wall 21 of the magazine housing 20 and disposed between the side walls 22, is a staple guide 30. Said guide 30 comprises a top wall 31 disposed below the upper edges of side walls 22, and from which extend downwardly, side walls 32 spaced inwardly of the side walls 22 and having lower edges contacting the upper surface of bottom wall 21.

The attachment of staple guide 30 to magazine housing 20 may be effected by means of rivets 34 through holes in portions of the walls 21 and 31 offset or recessed toward each other in the well known manner.

The front end of the staple guide 30 terminates short of front wall 27 and the front end of bottom wall 21 is cut away in the well known manner to provide a passage for a usual driver or plunger blade (not shown) on the cover 13 for driving staples from the magazine.

The staples ride on the staple guide with the legs of the staples disposed between walls 32 and 22 in the usual way.

Side walls 22 are formed with usual inwardly pressed longitudinal parallel beads 40 to hold the staples on the staple guide, also as well known. Beads 40 terminate short of the rear ends of side walls 22.

Bottom wall 21 of the magazine housing 20 has a rear edge 21a. Side walls 22 of said magazine housing have rear edges 22a extending up from rear vertical edge 21a and disposed somewhat rearwardly of the rear end of the staple guide 30. The upper ends of edges 22a terminate below top wall 31 of the staple guide. Extending from the upper ends of said edges 22a, are upwardly and forwardly inclined edges 22b cutting across and exposing triangular portions of the upper rear ends of side walls 32 of the staple guide 30. The upper ends of edges 22b are substantially at the level of the top surface of top wall 31 of the staple guide and forwardly of the rear end of said top wall. Extending up from the upper ends of edges 22b are vertical edges 22c. Extending inwardly from the side walls 22 are horizontal fingers 41 located at the upper ends of vertical edges 22c and above Wall 31 of the staple guide, but below the upper edges of side walls 22. The top rear ends of the fingers 41 are beveled downwardly and rearwardly, as at 41a. The fingers 41 are short, and terminate well short of each other as shown in FIG. 10 of the drawing. Forwardly of fingers 41, side walls 22 are formed with downwardly extending notches 42 forming rear edges 43 extending up above the fingers. At the upper ends of vertical edges 43 are shoulders 44 from which extend upwardly, vertical edges 45 terminating at the top edges of side walls 22.

For the purpose hereinafter appearing, the top wall 31 of the staple guide 30 is formed with a centrally located, substantially square hole 50 just forward of the rear edge 31a of top wall 31, thereby forming a rear edge 31b parallel to edges 31a and closely spaced therefrom.

Top wall 31 is formed with a depressed round portion or hub 51 spaced about an inch or so forwardly of square hole 50. The center of hub 51 has a hole for arivet 52. The rivet 52 fixes to the underside of said hub, an upper latch strip spring 53 and a lower strip spring 54-. The upper spring 53 is thinner than the lower spring and shorter.

The rear edge 55 of spring 53 is located between edges 31a and 31b. Normally, when not assembled with the staple magazine, spring 53 has a flat rear end 56 formed with a hole 56a for rivet 52, and extending from said rear end, is an upwardly inclined main portion or arm 57, which, when the spring is incorporated into the magazine, contacts the underside of wall 31 and is flexed downwardly. The normal inclination of arm 57 is such that it is flexed down by the top wall 31. At the rear end of arm 57 is a square hole 58 similar to opening but having a rear edge 59 located forwardly of edge 31b. Thus, openings 50 and 53 overlap, with opening 58 extending forwardly of opening 50.

Spring 54, when not attached to the magazine, has a fiat rear end 6%) formed with hole 6th: for said rivet 52. Extending from said rear flat end 60 i an upwardly inclined portion 61 from which extends downwardly a portion 62 somewhat inclined and terminating in a more sharply downwardly inclined lip 63. When attached to the magazine, portion 60 contacts the underside of portion 56 and the rear end of portion 61 contacts the underside of the rear arm 57 and is flexed thereby, with portion 62 and lip 63 extending rearwardly beyond the staple guide to project therebeyond.

The staple magazine 12 is provided with a staple pusher 70. Said pusher 70 comprises an elongated rod 71. Fixed to the rear end of said rod is a finger engaging part 72 of sheet metal or th like material having a rear wall 73 to which the rear end of said rod is riveted. Ex tending forwardly from the lower end of wall 73 is a tab 74 from which is cut a rearwardly extending lip or catch 75 pressed upwardly into spaced relation to said tab. Extending from wall 73 upwardly and forwardly is inclined wall 73a and side flanges 7311 also extend therefrom.

Slidable on the forward end of rod 71 is a slider 80. Slider 8i comprises a channel shaped member 81 adapted to ride on the staple guide and having a top web portion 82 from which extends downwardly, side flanges 33 which ride between the walls 32 and 22. The top web 82 com prises side portions 84 which ride on the top wall 31 of the staple guide 30, connected by an upwardly pressed central longitudinal portion 85. Said top portion 85 is formed with a pair of transverse slots 86. Assembled with slider 81 is a member 96 having a central web portion 91 located between the raised portion 85 and top wall 31 of the staple guide. Extending upwardly from the front and rear ends of web 91 are front and rear ears $2, 93, respectively, formed with openings through which rod '71 passes.

The front end of rod 71 is upset as at 71a to keep the slider from slipping off the front end of the rod. A coil compression spring 95 on the rod 71 is interposed between rear ear or tab 3 and wall 73 of member 72, to push the slider forwardly against the staples on the staple guide.

The front tab 92 has outwardly extending wings 92a which are in the path of fingers 41 (which extend inwardly from the side walls 22). The rear tab or car 93 is narrow enough to move through the space between fingers 41.

To insert the slider into the magazine, the staple pusher 76 is tilted in the manner illustrated in FIG. 8. Wings 92a are slid over wings 41 (beveled surfaces 41a aid in this maneuver) while side flanges 83 of member 81 are moved into the spaces between walls 32 and 22. After the wings 2a are beyond the fingers 41, the pusher rod may be moved to parallel position relative to th magazine housing and pushed forwardly.

During such action, the slider will contact the staple strip in the magazine and spring 95 will be compressed.

As member 72. approaches the staple magazine housing, tab 74 will engage between the projecting portions 62, 63 of spring 54 and th underside of thin spring 53, thereby depressing the free end of said spring 54. When lip 75 reaches opening 58 in spring 53, it will be pushed up through said opening and into opening 50 in the top wall of the staple guide. Release of hand pressure from member '72 will then slide the rod 71 back to cause the portion 53a of spring 53 between opening 53 and the rear end of the spring, to move into the space or slot between lip '75 and tab '74, thereby latching the pusher to the staple magazine. In this position, the rear edge of lip 75 will contact the rear edge 3112 at opening 50 to top wall 31.

To remove the pusher, said pusher is first pushed forwardly to releas the lip from portion 53a of spring 53. Then the rear end of the pusher is moved down to move the lip below spring 54. Release of finger pressure will then allow the spring 95 to move tab 74 rearwardly and out from between spring 54 and spring 53.

Should the rear end of the pusher slip out of the operators hand when the pusher is released, a highly compressed spring 95 will cause the pusher to be moved rearwardly with considerable force. However, should this happen, the wings 92a of tab 92 will strike the fingers 41 to stop the rearward movement of the pusher, thereby acting as a safety stop to prevent accidents or injury or loss of th pusher.

It will thus be seen that there is provided an apparatus in which the several objects of this invention are achieved, and which is well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use.

As possible embodiments might be made of the above invention, and as various changes might be made in the embodiment above set forth, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings, is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. In a stapling machine, a staple magazine housing, a staple guide fixed therein, said housing comprising side walls, said guide having a top wall, a finger extending upwardly from the rear end of a side wall and located above said top wall, a staple pusher comprising a rod, a slider on the staple guide, means on said slider having an opening through which the rod passes, a member fixed to the rear end of the rod, a coil compression spring on said rod and between said member and slider, and means on said slider in the path of said finger to stop rearward movement of the pusher said means being movable upwardly, upon being stopped by said finger, above said finger to permit said slider to be moved further rearwardly beyond said staple guide.

2. The combination of claim 1, said finger having a top rearwardly and downwardly beveled surface.

3. In a stapling machine, a staple magazine housing having side walls, a staple guide fixed in the housing and having a top wall, fingers extending upwardly and inwardly toward each other from the side walls, near the rear ends thereof, and located above said top wall, a pusher comprising a slider having a portion riding on the guide, and a pair of tabs extending up from said portion, a rod slidable on said tabs, a member fixed to the rear end of the rod, a spring on said rod and interposed between said member and one of said tabs, one of said tabs having wings in the path of said fingers.

4. The combination of claim 3, another of said tabs being of such dimension as to be movable between said fingers.

5. The combination of claim 3, said fingers having top downwardly and rearwardly beveled surfaces.

6. In combination, a staple magazine housing having side walls, a staple guide fixed therein, and between said side walls in spaced relation thereto, said guide having a top wall formed with an opening near its rear end, a strip spring fixed at its front end to the underside of said top wall, and having a rear free end extending rearwardly and contacting the underside of said top wall, and being formed with an opening, said spring having a portion adjacent its opening underlapping the opening in the top wall, a pusher comprising a rod, a member fixed to the rear end of said rod and having at its lower end a forwardly extending tab provided with a rearwardly extending tongue spaced above said tab to engage said portion of said spring.

7. The combination of claim 6, in combination with a second strip spring having its forward end fixed to said 6 top wall and underlying said first mentioned strip spring and having a rearwardly extending free end portion formed with a downwardly extending lip projecting rearwardly beyond said guide, said second spring being adapted to press up against said tab when said tongue engages said portion of said first mentioned spring.

8. In combination, a staple magazine, a staple guide fixed therein and having a top wall, means on the top wall formed with an opening having a rear edge, a staple pusher comprising a rod, a member fixed to the rear end of said rod and having a forwardly extending tab, a tongue on the tab extending rearwardly and upwardly offset from the tab and passing through said opening and forming a space between the tongue and tab receiving said rear edge, spring means in the staple guide to press upwardly against the underside of said tab to press said tab toward the underside of said top wall of said staple guide.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,937,375 Pankonin May 24, 1960 

